At midnight, Rob Ford’s term as mayor of Toronto ended in the most unexpected way: quietly.

To call Ford’s four years at the helm of the city controversial would be, at best, a massive understatement. Yet, through a drug scandal, police investigations, a stint in rehab and comments that offended the sensibilities of more than a few Torontonians, Ford’s time as mayor came to a close at it’s pre-determined time, four years after he entered office.

Ford’s time in office was combative from the get go, starting when he was sworn in on Dec. 7, 2010. Ford’s special guest for the event was none other than Hockey Night in Canada host Don Cherry, who declared he’d worn pink as a nod to the downtown, bicycle-riding “pinkos” those of Cherry and Ford’s ilk so openly despise.

Don Cherry and Rob Ford pose for a picture during the former mayor’s swearing in on Dec. 7, 2010. (Brett Gundlock/National Post)

Within Ford’s first year as mayor alone, he managed to anger the city’s LGBT community be refusing to march in the annual Pride parade and was accused of using his cellphone while driving (including flipping the bird at an observer). Not to mention the time he called 911 because Mary Walsh of CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes was in his driveway.

YouTube framegrab video of Mary Walsh of CBC’s This Hour has 22 Minutes, “ambushing” Toronto mayor Rob Ford in the driveway of his home. (YouTube)

From there, Ford accused a Toronto Star reporter of spying on him at his Etobicoke home (he wasn’t), was accused of abusing his powers to wrangle favours for the high school football team he coached, engaged in a very public weight loss challenge, was accused of grabbing the buttocks of perpetual political candidate Sarah Thomson and faced several accusations of conflicts of interest and otherwise inappropriate behaviour. All, of course, while making various offensive comments regarding women in politics, the kids he coached and other groups that wouldn’t fall into his typical voter base.

As bizarre as that all was, it wasn’t until spring of 2013 that allegations of substance abuse made their way into headlines, starting with a story in the Toronto Star from that March which alleged alcohol addiction.

In May 2013, the Star reported that they’d seen a video depicting Ford smoking crack cocaine. The rest, as they say, is history, if “history” can encapsulate months of new videos of Ford exhibiting various unsavoury behaviours, sharing vulgar details of his sex live on live TV, police documents alleging connections to gang activity and pulling out of the mayoral race at the, quite literal, last moment so his brother could run instead.

Toronto’s new mayor, John Tory, will be sworn in to office on Tuesday. Ford, now undergoing treatment for cancer, will return in his old position as city councillor for Etobicoke’s Ward 2. Though his time as mayor is over, it’s not a time that Toronto will soon forget.

Talk a walk down memory lane with some of our favourite photos from the Ford years.

Nov. 14, 2013: Ford stands with his wife Renata as he apologizes for his vulgar comments regarding how much he has to eat at home (again, not food). (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young)

TORONTO, ONTARIO: November 13, 2013 – Toronto mayor Rob Ford reacts at City Hall in Toronto, Ontario, November 13, 2013. Council was in session today debating a motion put forth by council to appeal to the provincial government to have the mayor removed from office. (Tyler Anderson / National Post)